


Shinobi Worldbuilding Guide: Land of Wind

by shipcat, ThisCatastrophe



Series: Shinobi Worldbuilding Guide [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Land of Wind, Other, Resource guide, Suna Village, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 05:58:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14805677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipcat/pseuds/shipcat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisCatastrophe/pseuds/ThisCatastrophe
Summary: Need to write about Sunagakure, the Sand Siblings, the history of Suna, the outskirts of the Land of Wind, or your own Suna-based original characters? Take a look at the helpful materials in the Shinobi Worldbuilding Guide.Not actually a fic! This is a resource repository for the Land of Wind, its canon lore, and a collection of worldbuilding suggestions for use in fiction and art. Periodically will be updated to include a variety of resources, headcanons, possible histories and inspirational materials.





	Shinobi Worldbuilding Guide: Land of Wind

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there. I see a lot of social meta for the shinobi world, but there's not enough background information about the world for my liking. Shipcat, myself and a few other friends have been compiling possible explanations that fill in the gaps in canon lore throughout the Naruto-verse.
> 
> Feel free to use, remix and modify any of the information within. If you use anything, kindly link back to the Guide.

From the images we have of Suna, we can assume it’s in the center of a hot and dry desert biome, similar to the Sonora, Mojave, Rub’ al Khali and Kalahari regions in the real world. These areas are characterized by low-growing, sparse plant life, burrowing, semi-nocturnal creatures, and short periods of rainfall separated by long dry spells. They are hot in the daytime and often dramatically cooler at night, making for all-around rough living conditions.

So why settle in a hot, dry desert?

There are a few theories for why Suna exists in the center of such a dangerous, inhospitable place. Each of these theories can be modified, remixed, or combined with other theories, and every single theory has its own specific pros and cons that may affect the outcome of your story. Please keep in mind that every one of these theories revolves around a base assumption: that cities are built purposefully, not accidentally. None of these options see Suna as an accidental or informal settlement, but as a deliberate placement due to a variety of issues, histories and circumstances.

1\. Shinobi Strength Theory

It’s possible that the first people of Suna settled intentionally in the middle of a desert; after all, Naruto logic isn’t the same as real world logic. Maybe shinobi are simply acclimated to such conditions and have the magic and resources necessary to survive desert living at the dawn of the pseudo-Edo era. 

In this theory, Suna was intentionally built in a desert by shinobi who were already used to desert living. Its location in the middle of a dry area was not an accident, but rather a method of hiding the city away from enemies, hence the Village Hidden in Sand, in a literal sense. 

This theory is based on the assumption that shinobi survive extended exposure to harsh conditions more easily than normal people. It does not require any modifications to canon geography or history. It also allows for extensions of chakra nature discourse and magic theories that could affect shinobi life outside of battle.

However, the Shinobi Strength Theory assumes that Sunan civilians are a minority, particularly hardy or nonexistent. Additionally, children and the elderly are not well accounted for in this interpretation. Finally, the theory operates on the same principles that Kishimoto’s canon does: if it doesn’t matter right now, don’t bother thinking about it.

2\. Desertification Theory

This theory suggests that Suna was founded in a once-fertile area, but that its surrounding lands have been destroyed thanks to the side-effects of human settlement.   
There are two diverging paths here: river damming and overuse of flora resources. In the river damming path, we assume that Suna was founded on the banks of a flourishing river, but that the river was dammed up farther upstream (possibly by its own capital city), which caused desertification downstream. This could happen relatively quickly, though would rely on fairly specific climate conditions to result in a hot, dry desert rather than a semi-arid one.

The second path, flora overuse, assumes that Suna was founded in an area without a single large source of water but with a wealth of plant life fed by underwater sources. In order to support the city’s growing population and the booming puppeteering trade (which required large amounts of wood), the Sunan people could have overworked their own land, causing conditions similar to the American Dust Bowl.

This theory incorporates wind erosion and the ecological role of previously-unchecked winds, which would explain both common wind-style fighting techniques and the dust storms in and around Suna. Additionally, the incorporation of previous plant life explains wood-based weaponry and a seemingly larger-than-average desert city.

However, this theory assumes that Suna either harvested its resources very quickly (hinting at a healthy agricultural trade that now seems to be out of the picture), or that Suna is older than other shinobi cities, or at least Konoha. Additionally, the Desertification Theory may force authors to deal with an underlying ecological narrative that may or may not be relevant to the story’s overall plot.

3\. Oasis Theory

If Suna was founded as many early arid-biome villages were in reality, it would have to be near some resource center, most likely a body of water. Shipcat theorizes that one such resource center could be an oasis, or a fertile area of land surrounding an aquifer-supplied lake. These areas could be populated by plant and animal life not found in other parts of the region. 

Sometimes, a large enough oasis can support groups of humans for a long period of time. However, as with all renewable resources, an aquifer may be exhausted (though a phenomenon called overexploitation) by overuse, especially if a city of formerly nomadic people grows to unsustainable sizes. The Oasis Theory speculates that the Sunan oasis dried up after the city grew, leaving the already-established population center without a source of water; at this time, the Sunan shinobi were too entrenched in the city and their ways of life to leave the area, though civilians may have emigrated in search of more fertile areas.

This theory could be used to explain the architectural styles of Sunan buildings. Many of the buildings in the city seem to be made of clay, stucco, or mudbrick, which would require a source of water to produce. Additionally, an oasis could explain the presence of wooden weaponry in an otherwise-treeless area. Suna’s financial dire straits (as hinted in Part I) may be partially caused by an ongoing civilian migration away from the now-dried oasis area.

However, this theory suggests that Suna may be older than the other shinobi cities, or at least older than Konoha. Additionally, there are no visible areas in Suna where waterways may have been located.

4\. Riverbed Theory

Similar to the Desertification and Oasis Theories, the Riverbed suggests that there may have been natural water in Suna at its founding. However, the Riverbed Theory removes human responsibility from the equation, positing instead that the river dried out mainly on its own. 

In this theory, old Suna was founded on the banks of a river that passed between the walls of the cliffs that overlook the village, possibly terminating in a lake that formed the circular canyon shape. As the city was built, the river shrank in size, forcing the Sunans to build inside the cliffs rather than above. By the time the city was established and the people well-entrenched, the river was dry. 

This theory explains the presence of building materials like stucco, mudbrick, and clay, as well as the basic resources necessary to draw groups of people to the area. Additionally, it provides explanation for the dramatic cliff walls that surround the city, and why the city was founded within a cliff that could conceivably be accessed by air. 

However, this theory assumes that the Sunan people would not move away as the river dried up, and that there was a river in a dry area in the first place. Additionally, this theory would need a long period of time to operate, making Suna significantly older than other shinobi cities, possibly predating the shinobi population entirely.

5\. Shukaku’s Playground Theory

This is a very magical-reality theory. It’s not based in human motions or ecology or anything else. It’s a relatively simple fix-all.

Shukaku’s Playground suggests that Suna was not always a desert, but that Shukaku’s early days (and early rampages) turned it into a desert. A Tailed Beast’s power is mighty, and early shinobi… not so much. Suna becomes a desert overnight.

This theory would explain some of the turmoil in Suna, as well as cannonical misgivings about the One-Tail jinchuuriki. However, the theory is relatively vague and assumes a major event not mentioned in the Naruto series itself.


End file.
